Swine flu: facts and fiction

This map provided by the Center for Disease Control reflects the spread of both seasonal influenza and the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, in the United States. The graphic shows Tennessee has cases spread on a local level. Although there are known cases in the state, Tennessee Health Department officials stopped testing specifically for the virus in the state lab effective Sept. 1. Representatives of the Tennessee Health Department say there is no reason to test every patient because there is not a unique medication for the virus and treatment should not be postponed to wait for lab results.

With school back in session, the World Health Organization's upgrade of the swine flu's pandemic alert level to Phase 6 has many local residents concerned.

Add to that the fact that the state health department has stopped testing for the virus at its state lab and those residents become alarmed.

With rumors of school closings and mandatory vaccinations, many local residents simply don't know what to believe concerning the swine flu and its threat to the health of their children and the community.

Health officials on the state level and those in charge of local schools want area residents to know the facts about the H1N1 virus and the practices in place to keep local residents healthy.

They also want to remind the public of its responsibility to limit the spread of germs to members of the community who may be affected more profoundly by any strain of influenza.

"(The H1N1 virus) is at least as serious as seasonal flu," said Tennessee Department of Health spokesperson Shelley Walker. "And seasonal flu certainly can be a serious illness. As many as 36,000 people die each year from seasonal flu, with 700 right here in Tennessee. But we don't think that people need to panic if there are cases of the H1N1 virus in their community."

City and county school health officials are working together to provide the most up-to-date information on the H1N1 virus - also known as the swine flu - to faculty, staff and students in schools throughout the area. Each school has a list of recommended practices to keep students as healthy as possible and the spread of all germs to a minimum. No schools within the city or county systems have plans to close due to the virus. From left, Dyersburg City Schools Coordinated School Health Coordinator Nancy Deere; Dyer County Schools Coordinated School Health Coordinator Cristy Evans, B.S.N.; Dyer County Schools Nursing Supervisor Teresa Stewart, B.S.N.; and Dyersburg City Schools school nurses Elaine McCormick, R.N., B.S.N., and Susan Tillman, R.N.

There have been confirmed cases of the swine flu in Dyer County since the virus caught worldwide attention last spring. This summer, state officials altered their procedure from reporting county-by-county statistics of the number of cases to what residents can do to prevent the spread of the disease.

Effective Sept. 1, the state lab will limit the testing of specimens for H1N1 to physicians within the Tennessee Sentinel Provider Network and those who work with the national Emerging Infections Program. These programs help in surveillance of diseases of all kinds.

"These are two programs we've already had in place," said Walker. "(The state lab) simply doesn't have the capacity to handle all those samples and process them. (Identifying the H1N1 virus is) not required for treatment. If a patient shows up at the doctor's office with flu-like symptoms, treatment does not depend on results of laboratory tests. Treatment should be based on clinical representation and needs to begin right then."

State health officials also suggest that residents who begin to feel flu-like symptoms call their physician before heading into the office.

"Generally, if someone starts feeling poorly, we suggest that they call the doctor first - or the county health department," said Walker. "If you are sick with a flu-like illness, it might not be a good idea to go to a busy waiting room where other people are sick, too. The same goes for the emergency room. Of course, there are times to go to the emergency room, but those who do not have a general physician can call the health department."

Residents should stay home when feeling ill to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus in the community. School health officials also stress that keeping children home when they are sick is imperative to prevent the spread of the swine flu in schools throughout the county.

Tennessee Coordinated School Health Coordinators and school nurses in both systems are working together to stay current on the practices and statistics of swine flu in the area. Together, they are providing the most up-to-date information on the H1N1 virus to faculty, staff and students in schools throughout the area.

CSH recommended responses for the swine flu include these tips for both educators and parents:

* Desks and doorknobs will be wiped down with an anti-viral cleaner daily by maintenance staff.

* Parents will be asked to keep sick students at home until the child is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever medication.

* Teachers and administrators will be asked to emphasize hygiene, to prepare for absences and to have homework assignments available. When possible, download class work on the Web sites.

* At school, sick students will be isolated from other students and referred to their health care providers.

* Educational materials will be sent home with students, including state and CDC Web sites for parents to consult.

Residents of all ages are requested to practice good health habits like:

* washing hands

* covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, not your hand

* staying home when sick for three to five calendar days, until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever medication

"Since school has reconvened, our calls have increased. Seeing illness in school population is not uncommon," said Walker, who said that many schools chose to close last spring when the first cases of the H1N1 virus appeared. "School closure did not prove to be a way to control the virus. Even in counties where schools closed, the virus continued to spread. But that is not our decision to make and we will support the decision of the local systems."

Officials with both the Dyersburg City School System and the Dyer County School System said no plans are currently under way to close any school in the two systems due to the swine flu virus.

"We certainly urge vaccination for both seasonal flu and H1N1 - it will require two injections," said Walker. "We would urge people to get their seasonal flu shot as soon as possible and to keep watching for information on when the H1N1 vaccine will be available."

Walker said no efforts are under way at either the state or federal level to make the H1N1 vaccination mandatory.

"For the most part, what we've seen with the H1N1 flu is that it behaves much like seasonal flu," said Walker. "One difference in the symptoms, some people with H1N1 virus include gastro-intestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea. If we put this in the perspective of regular seasonal flu, it might help to calm some of the fears that residents have. We urge people to check our Web site, call the health department or their local provider if they have any questions on what to do to prevent the flu."

Those interested in more information may visit http://health.state.tn.us/H1N1.htm, www.flu.gov or http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/updates/us/.